A man who was found by police trapped under the stolen car in which he had been travelling is today beginning a year-long jail term.

IPSWICH: A man who was found by police trapped under the stolen car in which he had been travelling is today beginning a year-long jail term.

Luke Stuttard, 20, of Wren Avenue, Ipswich, admitted being a passenger in a Nissan Bluebird car, pursued at high speeds through the streets in the early hours of September 21 last year.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how police officers spotted the car, which was stolen from Dales Road, driving erratically in Whitton Church Lane at around 2.15am.

Officers chased the car, which was accelerating at high speeds with its headlights turned off.

The car drove through red lights in to Norwich Road, entering Whitehouse Road on the wrong side of the road, leaving the carriageway and driving along the grass verge.

It then entered Waterford Road and other residential streets at speeds in excess of 60mph, crashing through barriers in Jovian Way and ending up on a river tow path, where the car continued before mounting the embankment in Riverside Road and coming to a halt.

Police officers witnessed a man getting out of the passenger door and by the time they reached the car they discovered Stuttard pinned between the vehicle and a metal fence.

Stuttard admitted to being a passenger in the five-minute chase, pleading guilty to a charge of aggravated allowing himself to be carried.

He had to be released from the car by the fire brigade and was taken to Ipswich Hospital with superficial cuts.

Martyn Levett, mitigating, said his client's recent stint in prison had acted to spur him on to change his lifestyle.

He said: “He has seen it as a warning shot. He seriously needs to stop going back to prison.”

Mr Levett also made reference to Stuttard's difficult family situation and his desire to be at home to help care for his brother who has Down's Syndrome.

Judge John Devaux, sentencing, noted Stuttard's “appalling record for driving offences”.

He sentenced Stuttard to 12 months in prison and disqualified the already banned driver from driving for a further 18 months.